SERAFIN TIJAM, ET AL.

,
plaintiffs-appellees, vs.
MAGDALENO SIBONGHANOY alias GAVINO SIBONGHANOY and
LUCIABAGUIO,
defendants,
MANILA SURETY AND FIDELITY CO., INC. (CEBU BRANCH)
bondingcompany and defendant-appellant.
G.R. No. L-21450 April 15, 1968
FACTS:
Spouses Serafin and Felicitas commenced a civil case against spouses
Sibonghanoyto recover from them a sum of P1, 908.00 with legal
interest. A writ of attachment was
issued by the court against the defendants properties but the same
was soon diss
olved.After trial, the court rendered judgment in favor of the plaintiffs
and after the same hadbecome final and executor, the court issued a
writ of execution against the defendants. Thewrit being unsatisfied,
the plaintiffs moved for the issuance of the writ of execution against
the Suretys bond. Subsequently, the Surety moved to quash the writ
on the ground that the
same was issued without summary hearing. This was denied by the
RTC. The Suretyappealed in the CA, which was denied. This time, the
surety just asked for an extension inorder for them to file the motion
for reconsideration. But instead of filing for a motion
forreconsideration, it filed a motion to dismiss saying that by virtue of
R.A. 296 which is theJudiciary Reorganization Act of 1948, section
88 of which placed within the exclusive original jurisdiction of inferior
courts all civil action where the value of the subject matter
does notexceed P2,000.00. The Court of First Instance therefore has
no jurisdiction over the case. Thequestion of jurisdiction was filed by
the Surety only 15 years from the time the action wascommenced in
the Court of First Instance.
ISSUE: WON THE CASE SHOULD BE DISMISSED DUE TO THE LACK OF
JURISDICTIONHELD:
No. After voluntarily submitting a cause and encountering an adverse
decision on themerits, it is too late for the loser to question the
jurisdiction or power of the court. The ruleis that jurisdiction over the
subject matter is conferred upon the courts exclusive by law asby law
and as the lack of it affect the very authority of the court to take
cognizance of thecase, the objection may be raised at any stage of the
proceedings. However, considering thefacts and circumstances of the
present cases, a party may be barred by laches frominvolving this plea
for the first time on appeal for the purpose of annulling everything
done
in the case. A party cannot invoke a courts jurisdiction and later on
deny it to escape a
penalty.

[G.R. No. 164436 : January 15, 2010]

LITTIE SARAH A. AGDEPPA, LYNN SARAH A. AGDEPPA, LOUELLA
JEANNE A. AGDEPPA, AND LALAINE LILIBETH
A. AGDEPPA,PETITIONERS, VS. HEIRS OF IGNACIO BONETE,
REPRESENTED BY DOROTEA BONETE, HIPOLITO BONETE, MILAGROS
BONETE,MAURICIO BONETE, FERNANDO BONETE, AND OPHELIA
BONETE, RESPONDENTS.D E C I S I O N

Before this Court is a Petition for Review on
Certiorari ,
[1] seeking the reversal of the Court of Appeals (CA) Decision,
[2] Dated December 27, 2002, which reversed and set aside the Order,
[3] dated May 21, 1990, issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC),
Branch18, of Midsayap, Cotabato. The factual and procedural
antecedents of the case are as follows: In 1979, respondent Dorotea
Bonete (Dorotea), widow of the late Ignacio Bonete and mother of
respondents Hipolito Bonete,Milagros Bonete, Mauricio Bonete,
Fernando Bonete, and Ophelia Bonete (respondents), obtained a loan
in the amount ofP55,000.00 from Development Bank of the
Philippines (DBP), Cotabato City Branch, in order to buy farm
implements. A parcel of agricultural land, known as Lot No. (1144) H-
207865 with an area of 18.00 hectares, covered by Transfer Certificate
of Title (TCT) No.T-56923,
[4] issued in the name of Dorotea and situated in Demapaco,
Libungan, Cotabato (subject property), was used as collateral to
secure the said loan. In 1982, respondents, through Dorotea, received
a notice of collection from DBP. Respondents alleged that herein
petitioner and counsel, Atty. Littie Sarah A. Agdeppa (Littie
Sarah), expressed deep concern and sympathy for them.
Consequently, Littie Sarah accompanied Dorotea to DBP and obligated
herself to pay the loan. Thereafter, Dorotea was allegedly made to
sign a document as Littie Sarah's security for the amount which
the latter paid to DBP in connection with the said loan. Further,
respondents alleged that, since 1982, Littie Sarah and her
representatives had been gradually easing them out of the subject
property and that they were ordered to stop the cultivation of their
respective rice fields. Eventually, respondents were forcibly ejected
from the subject property. Further, Littie Sarah planted corn and put
up duck-raising projects on the subject property. On this account,
respondents inquired from the Register of Deeds and found that the
title to the subject property, which was in the name of respondents'
predecessor-in-interest, the late Ignacio Bonete, had already been
canceled and transferred to Littie Sarah under TCT No. T-75454 by
virtue of a purported deed of sale. According to Dorotea, Littie Sarah
took advantage of her by letting her sign a contract, ostensibly as
security for the loan from DBP, which later turned out to be a deed of
sale. Thus, respondents filed a Complaint
[5] for Recovery of Ownership and Possession and/or Annulment of
Deed of Sale of the Subject Property with Damages, docketed as Civil
Case No. 484 before the RTC. Littie Sarah filed a Motion to Dismiss
[6] the Complaint based on the following grounds: 1) that respondents
had no legal capacity to sue; 2) that respondents were not the real
parties in interest; 3) that the Complaint stated no cause of action;
and 4) that the claim or demand set forth in the Complaint
had already been waived and extinguished. Later, the Complaint was
amended, impleading herein petitioners Lynn Sarah Agdeppa, Louella
Jeanne Agdeppa, and Lalaine Lilibeth Agdeppa, together with Littie
Sarah, as defendants (petitioners).
[7] Respondents also filed an Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss.
[8] On May 21, 1990, the RTC issued an Order dismissing the
Amended Complaint with costs against respondents. It held that the
Amended Complaint did not show the character and representation
that respondents claimed to have. TCT No. T-56923, covering the
subject property, was not in the name of the late Ignacio Bonete
but in Dorotea's name. Thus, the RTC held that respondents were not
real parties in interest. Respondents filed a Motion
for Reconsideration
[9] which the RTC denied in its Order
[10] dated January 12, 1991. Therein, the RTC held that respondents
lacked the personality to sue; thus, a valid basis to grant the motion to
dismiss on the ground that the complaint did not state a cause of
action. Aggrieved, respondents went to the CA.
[11] On December 27, 2002, the CA reversed and set aside the RTC
Order, and remanded the case to the RTC for further proceedings
because Dorotea, being the former owner of the subject property,
was a real party in interest. Petitioners filed their Motion
for Reconsideration,
[12] which the CA denied in its Resolution
[13] dated April 28, 2004.Hence, this Petition assigning the following
errors: THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS IN REVERSING THE
ORDER OF DISMISSAL ISSUED BY THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURT,
ACTEDCONTRARY TO LAW AND JURISPRUDENCE; DEPARTED FROM
THE ACCEPTED AND USUAL COURSE OF JUDICIAL
PROCEEDINGS;GRAVELY ERRED AND GRAVELY ABUSED ITS
DISCRETION TANTAMOUNT TO LACK OF JURISDICTION; AND LAID
DOWN A VERY BADPRECEDENT, AS FOLLOWS:A. BY VIOLATING
SPECIFICALLY THE PROVISIONS OF THE RULES OF COURT,
PARTICULARLY SECS. 2 AND 3 OF RULE 3 OF THE RULESOF COURT, ON
PARTIES-PLAINTIFFS TO CIVIL ACTIONS AND REAL PARTIES IN
INTEREST;B. BY UPHOLDING THE LEGAL CAPACITY OF THE PLAINTIFFS
HEIRS OF IGNACIO BONETE TO SUE AND TO FILE THIS CASE WHEN
THEHONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS ITSELF EVEN RIGHTFULLY FOUND
THAT TCT NO. T-56923 WAS ALREADY REGISTERED IN THE NAMEOF
DOROTEA BONETE, WHEN IT WAS SOLD TO HEREIN DEFENDANTS,
SUCH THAT IGNACIO BONETE OR THE HEIRS OF IGNACIOBONETE
[HAD] NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SAID PROPERTY- THUS[,] NOT THE
REAL PARTY IN INTEREST AND [HAD] NO LEGALPERSONALITY TO SUE
AND LIKEWISE [HAD] NO CAUSE OF ACTION AGAINST DEFENDANTS
(PETITIONERS HEREIN);C. THAT THE DECISION OF THIS HONORABLE
COURT OF APPEALS WAS ISSUED CONTRARY TO LAW AND
JURISPRUDENCE ANDCONTRARY TO THE TRUE, ACTUAL AND EXISTING
FACTS OF THIS CASE AND EVEN TO THE VERY FINDINGS OF THE
HONORABLECOURT OF APPEALS ITSELF, BECAUSE WHILE THE
HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS RULED THAT DOROTEA BONETE AS
REGISTEREDOWNER IS A PARTY IN INTEREST, THIS CASE IS NOT
PROSECUTED IN THE NAME OF DOROTEA BONETE, BUT IN THE NAME
OF THEHEIRS OF IGNACIO BONETE, AND IF EVER THE NAME OF
DOROTEA BONETE IS MENTIONED IT WAS MERELY [AND] ALLEGEDLY
INREPRESENTATION OF THE HEIRS OF IGNACIO BONETE AND NOT IN
HER OWN PERSONAL CAPACITY; BUT WHICH REPRESENTATION ISNOT
EVEN ALLEGED IN THE COMPLAINT, THUS STILL A VIOLATION OF THE
RULES OF COURT;D. THAT THE REMANDING OF THIS CASE TO THE
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT FOR FURTHER PROCEEDINGS WITH
THE PARTY PLAINTIFF"HEIRS OF IGNACIO BONETE" NOT BEING A
REAL PARTY IN INTEREST VIOLATES THE WELL ESTABLISHED "GENERAL
RULE [THAT] ONEHAVING NO RIGHT OR INTEREST TO PROTECT
CANNOT INVOKE THE JURISDICTION OF THE COURT AS A PARTY
PLAINTIFF IN ANACTION. (
Ralla v. Ralla, 199 SCRA 495 [1991])" AND "THE GENERAL RULE OF x x x
COMMON LAW x x x THAT EVERY ACTION MUST BEBROUGHT IN THE
NAME OF THE PARTY WHOSE LEGAL RIGHT HAS BEEN INVADED OR
INFRINGED";E. IT WILL CREATE A VERY BAD AND IMPROPER
PRECEDENT NOT WARRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE RULES
OF COURT;[AND]F. WILL UNNECESSARILY CAUSE THE PARTIES UNDUE
DELAY AND EXPENSES FOR AFTER ALL THE PARTIES-PLAINTIFFS
THEREIN ARENOT THE REAL PARTIES IN INTEREST[.]
[14] The instant Petition is bereft of merit. While it is true that
respondents committed a procedural infraction before the RTC, such
infraction does not justify the dismissal of the case. Misjoinder of
parties does not warrant the dismissal of the action.
[15] Rule 3, Section 11 of the Rules of Court clearly provides: Sec. 11.
Misjoinder and non-joinder of parties.
-- Neither misjoinder nor non-joinder of parties is ground for
dismissal of an action. Parties may be dropped or added by order of
the court on motion of any party or on its own initiative at any stage
of the action and on such terms as are just. Any claim against a
misjoined party may be severed and proceeded with separately. It
bears stressing that TCT No. T-56923, covering the subject property,
was issued in the name of Dorotea. This is established by the record,
and petitioners themselves admit this fact. However, because TCT No.
T-75454, allegedly issued in favor of Littie Sarah, and the purported
deed of sale, allegedly executed by Dorotea in favor of Littie
Sarah, are not on record. Considering the allegations in the pleadings,
it is best that a trial on the merits be conducted. We fully agree with
the apt and judicious ruling of the CA, when it said: As the former
owner of the subject property, the same having been titled in her
name under TCT No. T-56923, Dorotea Cariaga Bonete, being the real
party [in] interest, has the legal capacity to file the instant case for re
conveyance and annulment of deed of sale. The complaint was filed
by the [respondents] precisely to question the issuance of TCT No. T-
75454 in the name of Littie Sarah Agdeppa as the transaction allegedly
contemplated was only to secure Dorotea's loan. Why the property
became the subject of the deed of sale which is being disputed by
Dorotea should be threshed out in a full-blown trial on the merits in
order to afford the contending parties their respective days in court.
As held in
Del Bros. Hotel Corporation vs. Court of Appeals, 210 SCRA 33,
the complaint is not supposed to contain evidentiary matters as
this will have to be done at the trial on the merits of the case. A final
note .A liberal construction of the Rules is apt in situations involving
excusable formal errors in a pleading, as long as the same do not
subvert the essence of the proceeding, and they connote at least a
reasonable attempt at compliance with the Rules.
[16]
The Court is not precluded from rectifying errors of judgment, if
blind and stubborn adherence to procedure would result in the
sacrifice of substantial justice for technicality. To deprive respondents,
particularly Dorotea, of their claims over the subject property on the
strength of sheer technicality would be a travesty of justice and
equity.
WHEREFORE, the instant Petition is
DENIED and the assailed Court of Appeals Decision is
AFFIRMED. The Regional Trial Court, Branch 18 of
Midsayap, Cotabato, is hereby directed to resolve this case on the
merits with deliberate dispatch. Costs againstpetitioners.
SO ORDERED.

NOTES:
Parties; misjoinder not ground for dismissal
Misjoinder of parties does not warrant the dismissal of the
action. Rule 3, Section 11 of the Rules of Court clearly
provides: Sec. 11,
Misjoinder and non-joinder of parties.

Neither misjoinder nor non-joinder of parties is ground for dismissal
of an action. Parties may be dropped or added by order of the court
on motion of any party or on its own initiative at any stage of the
action and on such terms as are just. Any claim against a misjoined
party may be severed and proceeded
with separately. It bears stressing that TCTNo. T-56923, covering the
subject property, was issued in the name of Dorotea. This
is established by the record, and petitioners themselves admit this
fact. However, because TCT No. T-75454, allegedly issued in favor of
Littie Sarah, and the purported deed of sale, allegedly executed by
Dorotea in favor of Littie Sarah, are not on record. Considering the
allegations in the pleadings, it is best that a trial on the merits be
conducted. We fully agree with the apt and judicious ruling of the CA,
when it said: As the former owner of the subject property, the same
having been titled in her name under TCT No. T-56923, Dorotea
Cariaga Bonete, being thereal party [in] interest, has the legal capacity
to file the instant case for re conveyance and annulment of deed of
sale. The complaint was filed by the [respondents] precisely to
question the issuance of TCT No. T-75454 in the name of Littie Sarah
Agdeppa as the transaction allegedly contemplated was only to secure
Doroteas loan.
Why the property became the subject of the deed of sale which is
being disputed by Dorotea should be threshed out in a full-blown trial
on the merits in order to afford the contending parties their
respective days in court. As held in Del Bros. Hotel Corporation
vs. Court of Appeals, 210 SCRA 33, the complaint is not supposed to
contain evidentiary matters as this will have to be done at the trial
on the merits of the case.